Angel's Story
by GingersKitty08
Summary: A girl from Colorado in the year 2009 is suddenly swept across the country and back in time to New York in 1899.
1. Perfection

One day, I'm a student at Rocky Hills High School in Colorado, 2009. Getting good grades, doing well, perfect attendance. Dancing for Fred Astaire Dance Studio, doing perfectly at that. People called me Miss Perfect. They teased that I'd never get married if I didn't find a guy as perfect as me. Truth is, I wasn't as perfect as people thought. Anyway, the next day, I'm in the middle of New York City in the year 1899.

Let me explain a bit. My name, first of all, is Angelica Susette Black, people call me Angel. Second, I'm a dancer (which you probably knew from that babble up there ^). Last, I'm a die-hard Newsies fan. Not OBSESSED with it like some people, but I can enjoy acting like them sometimes. I don't celebrate the birthdays like my friend Meaghan does, but I do taste the cakes she makes.

Anyway, one Wednesday, the night before a test, I'm really restless, so I pop in my Newsies dvd. Might as well do something fun while I can't sleep. As soon as it comes on, I'm asleep. I knew I was tired, I just had so much on my mind, I couldn't sleep.

When I woke up, I was in the middle of a dirty alley, on the ground, hearing all sorts of noise around me. I heard people yelling, a few cats meows, horse hooves on a road. It sounded a lot like a scene from the Newsies movie.

I walked out of the alley to see my favorite of the newsies, Kid Blink, yelling the headline, a bit skewed, of course.

"Fire on Pacific Island, Millions Flee in Terror!" he was yelling. Quite a few people stopped to buy a paper after hearing that headline.

I looked at the way they were dressed. Women in long, poofy dresses. Men in suits. I looked down at my own clothes, and relized that I might look a little silly in purple penguin pajama pants and a teenage mutant ninja turtles t-shirt. So I stuck around in the alley for awhile.

For a minute, it seemed so nice. Getting away from the stress of school, actually being IN my favorite movie. I might even get to talk to Jack if I played my cards right.

After that minute, it all went wrong. The Delancey brothers showed up, pretty much demanding Blink's corner. They spot me peeking out of the alley, and leave Blink, who looked a bit confused. "What's a pretty goil like you doing out heyah?" one asked. Another suggested, "Plannin' somethin'?"

They started closing in on me, until I was backed into a corner of the alley. I wished that Blink, Jack, or one of the newsies would show up. I yelled for help, but the brothers got closer. "Need help, huh." one said, "Ya don't think we're gonna hoit ya, do ya?"

I screamed as one acted like he was going to hit me.

At last, my wish came true. Blink runs into the alley, along with Jack, to help.

"Whaddaya think ya doin' boys?" Jack asked, "This here's a poisonal friend a mine."

"Jack don't take kindly tah people messin' with 'is friends." Blink adds.

The usual bit of fighting followed, along with me getting helped up by Blink. "So, what's ya name?" he asked me.

"I'm Angel." I replied, "And you are?"

"I'm Kid Blink." he said, shaking my hand, "But me friends call me Blink."

"And I'm Jack." Jack said, "Pleasure to make ya acquaintance."

Finally, one of them notices my strange clothes. "So, where ya from?" Jack asked.

"Colorado." I said, "In the year 2009."

Boy, did that confuse them. "Let's go tah Tibby's, Jack." Blink said, "Maybe she'll explain?"

Before we got to Tibby's, Jack took me into the Newsboys Lodging House, and gave me a set of clothes, and a hat. "Just so ya fit in." he said.

When we got inside Tibby's we sat down at a table, and I explained everything.

"I'm Angel, I'm 14, I'm from Colorado, and I'm from the future." I said, "How I got here? I'm not so sure about that."

"Well, try tah explain." Jack said, "We'll figyah it all out latah."

"Okay, well..." I started talking about how I was watching the movie, and then I woke up here.

They both were very interested about the movie. And how we watched movies. And why I was watching it.


	2. Deception

Later that day, the guys went to sell more "papes". I was left in the Lodging House with Kloppman. I decided to try and straighten up the bathrooms. The upstairs one was pretty messy. They must use that one all the time. The downstairs one looked pretty deserted. There were even some spiderwebs in the showers.

Kloppman said I could stay in the attic for awhile. They had a girl newsie for awhile, and she stayed up there. She got married recently, so the rooms been deserted.

I moved my only other set of clothes (my pajamas) into that room, and redecorated. The dresser had a few shirts in it, and a pair of pants. There were some hats and even a dress in the lower drawers. I was so glad for that one girl newsie.

"You've done pretty well setting the showers right." Kloppman said, "You can either sell papes with the boys, or you could help with the cleaning around here."

"I think I'll try selling papers." I said, "If that doesn't go so well, I'll clean. I can cook a bit too, if you need me to."

The boys came back in around 8. Then I was properly introduced to everyone. Jack introduced me. "This is me cousin, Angel. She's from Colorado." he said, "Be nice to 'er, or ya can expect tah be hearin' from me."

The boys came up a few at a time, and introduced themselves to me. Racetrack offered to teach me how to play poker, "Just so ya won't lose too much a ya money to dese guys." Mush was awfully sweet, he blushed a bit when I smiled at him.

They're all very nice, and I felt right at home after a few rounds of poker. Blink said I'd have to start trying to learn the accent. "Ya sound real diff'rent." he said, "People'll ask about ya."

Blink took me out to sell papes the next day. It was a TON harder than I had expected.

"Ya gotta read the headlines before ya start sellin'." he said, "An' sometimes, ya gotta help 'em a little."

I read through, but didn't see anything too interesting. "What do I do, Blink?" I asked, "There's nothing too interesting."

"Just watch." he said, "I'll show ya, and then ya gotta do it yourself."

"Baby born in Brooklyn with three heads!" he yelled, "Expected to live only a few days."

I read through the headlines, but didn't see ANYTHING like that. Though there was a baby born a month early in Brooklyn, and only lived for a few days.

"So, we lie about the headlines?" I asked.

"No. We nevah lie." Blink said, "We stretch da truth a little."

My first day selling papes, and I stink at it.

Lunch was smaller than I was used to eating. I only had a half a turkey sandwich and a glass of milk. And with the money I had, I could only pay for the sandwich. Blink payed for the rest. "Ya gotta try to do bettah, Angel." he said, "Ya gotta buy ya own lunch, AND pay Kloppman for ya bed."

The first rule of being a newsie: help each other as much as possible.  
Second rule: pay for yourself, or you start to look too needy.

That afternoon, I sold with Jack. He wasn't much help in the lying area either. "Ya just gotta stretch da truth a bit." he said, "Like, see dis headline? 'Ceiling Falls in Old Building, No Injuries' Ya gotta just make it sound a bit moah, interesting. Like dis. 'Building Collapses, Four Dead, None Injured'."

So, I learned HOW to lie, just not how to do it well.

"So, for 'Animals in Park Sickly' could be 'Dangerous Animals in Park'?" I asked.

"Exactly." Jack said, "Ya gettin' it already!"

So, I'm getting a bit better, but not much. Who knew selling papers would be so much work? I sure didn't. If I ever get back home, I'll never underestimate newspeople ever again. They're what makes life kind of interesting, and scary sometimes.

That night, I took my shower, since the guys take theirs in the morning, I figured I'd be fine. Not really, I found out. I was stepping out when Blink walks in, for some odd reason. I just about screamed, and Blink didn't look any more happy than I felt.

He walked out, and waited outside until I came out. "I'm sorry, Angel." he said, "I really didn't mean... I just... Sorry."

"It's alright, Blink." I said, "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure." he said, "Whaddaya wanna know?"

"How'd you get that interesting name?" I asked, "Surely it's not your real name."

"A course it's not." he said, "It's a nickname. All da guys got one."

"Ah." I said, "So, will I get one eventually?"

"Sure." he said, "Anything else?"

"Yeah." I said, "What's your real name?"

"Jordan." he said, "Jordan Blake Jameson. But don't tell anybody."

"Sure." I said, "So, who gets to pick my nickname?"

"We don't pick da nicknames." he said, "Da nicknames pick you."


	3. Wanting

The guys had an idea. This guy, David, gave it to Jack. The newsies need a union. We're getting together and we're not going to sell papers. We pay for them, and we only get back what we payed. There's no profit. David's dad is in a union. That's where the idea came from.

Blink says the guys are going to go with it for awhile, but then we'll all go back to selling papes, and just dealing with the money. Invest it or something. "Like Race." he said, "Only bettah, I hope."

For now, we're just hoping that the newspaper people will lower the prices of papes. People won't pay more than a penny a pape.

I'm planning on getting a job, just until the strike is over. Medda seems like a nice lady. Maybe I could get a job at her place.

I asked about a job, and she immediately said yes. She always needs someone to help with the drinks. And she just LOVES dressing people up.

"You weel look beautiful in thees dress, Angel." she said, handing me a light blue silk dress. I tried it on, and looked in Medda's mirror. "You do." she said, "How do you feel?"

"Like a princess." I said. "It's beautiful. But, should I wear it? Being a bar-maid doesn't seem like the type of job you'd wear a beautiful dress for."

"Of course not." she said, "I was just trying it on you. THEES is your dress."

It was pretty. It was a darker shade of blue (which, is my color, according to Medda), a bit shorter, and much lower cut than any dress I'd ever worn. I looked good in it, and Medda has many of the same type of dress in multiple colors, so I can wear any color I like.

A few days into the job, and the guys show up at Medda's.

"So dis is where ya go all da time." Jack said, "We were wonerin' where ya went to."

"Ya look nice, Angel." Race said, trying to flirt, "Ya wanna...".

"Don't even." Jack said, looking at Race sternly, "Remember, she's my cousin."

Blink came up awhile later, and we talked when I had time. "So, no comments on the dress? Or the job?" I asked.

"Nah." he said, "I knew where ya were da whole time."

"How?" I asked.

"I followed ya when you came out 'ere dat night." he said, "Ya gotta make sure ya KNOW nobody's followin' ya, Angel."

"Alright." I said, "Ya gonna follow me to work every day?"

"Possibly." he said, "Either to protect ya, or tah see ya in dat dress."

"You hush." I said, "I might just ask Medda to get me a longer dress with a higher neck-line."

"I was kiddin'." he said, "Ya gotta wear it. Gets more customers for Medda."

"Sure ya were." I said, leaning over, "And, yeah, just doing this gets guys to walk in."

I noticed that half of the newsies were looking over at me now. A few others were walking over to me. I looked at Blink, "Did you tell them to do that?"

"Nah." he said, "Dat's all you."

I was so tempted to smack at him. "Quit it." I said, play slapping him.

"Oh, dat hurt so bad," he said, kiddingly, "I'm gonna need a bandage. Is my nose bleedin'?"

The guys stopped staring after awhile. I guess they just got used to the fact that I was forced to wear it. That or they were just so interested in Medda's show. All she did was stand up there, sing and prance around the stage, and all eyes were on her.

"She's pretty interesting." I said, "She's sweet though."

"She's pretty great." Blink said, "She gave my sister a job too."

"Really?" I asked.

"Yeah. My oldah sistah." he said, "Song was the only goil newsie in Manhattan. She had a gorgeous voice. An' she was my best friend."

"She's the one that had the attic room." I said, "Right?"

"Yeah." he said, "She got married a couple a months ago. Moved to Virginia, I think."

"You miss her?" I asked.

"A lot." he said, "I could tell 'er anything, and she'd never tell anyone. The guys don't respect secrets."

I was tempted to come around the bar and hug him. I wanted to tell him that I'd keep his secrets. I really wanted to. But right when I was about to, a guy came up to the bar and ordered something. Blink would still be there when I got back, I thought, so I got what the man wanted, and went back to where Blink was sitting. Blink had left though.

I probably shouldn't have asked about Song.


	4. Remembering

Walking back to the Lodging House that night, I heard someone following me, and I figured that Blink had come back to walk me home. So I stopped so he could catch up. As it turns out, it wasn't Blink, it was Racetrack.

"So, ya waiting foah me?" he asked.

"Sorry." I said, "I thought you were someone else."

"'At's alright." he said, "I'll walk ya to the house. That okay?"

"Sure." I said.

"So," he said, "I noticed that ya taken a likin' tah Blink."

"What?" I said, "What are you talking about?"

"I saw da two of ya sittin' ovah dere floitin'." he said, "It's alright. Ya don't gotta lie. I don't mind."

The rest of the walk was about like that. Race thought that me and Blink were considering "going together". Which, in my opinion, doesn't sound so bad. I might actually enjoy being Blink's girl.

When we got back to the house, I noticed that the guys must've been treating Blink the same way, because he was hiding out in my room.

"Sorry." he said, "I just... dey were... I... ugh."

"It's alright, Blink." I said, "Ya just might wanna get out before they think we're up to something."

"'at's a good idea." he said, "I'll deal with dem. Ya looked great tonight, by da way."

"I know." I said, "You already told me that today."

"See ya in da mornin'." he said, "G'night."

"Good night, Jordan." I said.

After he left, I sat and thought about what the guys would think if he had stayed in my room. I decided that they'd be about as perverted as my guy friends from 2009 about it. They'd laugh, and make jokes, and tease us both, but then leave us alone after awhile.

Which only reminded me about how much I missed my friends. The newsies were great friends, I just wondered how I was going to get home, and if any time had really passed there, or if, when I got home, it'd still be Wednesday night.

I went to sleep thinking about that. I had a great dream about home, and Blink being there with me. All my friends were jealous, and we lived happily ever after in a castle by the sea in France. Must've been affected by my childhood dream of being a French princess.

I woke up to Blink poking me, whispering, "Angel, wake up."

"What is it?" I asked, "Is it time to get up already?"

"Nah." he said, "I just wanted to talk."

"About?" I asked.

"Song." he said, "My sistah."

"Alright." I said.

"You're so much like 'er." he said, looking at me with his piercing blue eyes (he had taken the patch off), "She 'ad red 'air, an' brown eyes, jus' like ya. Ya remind me of 'er. Dat's why I was so upset last night."

"I'm sorry." I said, "You really miss her. And I just bring her back."

"Exactly." he said, "Ya act like 'er too! She always apologized fah everythin'. And..."

"What?" I asked.

"I could tell 'er anythin'." he said, "I feel like I can tell ya anythin'."

"You can." I said, I hugged him, "I'll keep your secrets."

"Thanks." he said, hugging back, "I can trust ya with anythin', right?"

"Yes." I said, "Anything at all."

"Well, I like dis goil." he said, "She's perfect. I'm just afraid she don't like me."

I was just a bit saddened by this. I had hoped he was going to tell me that he wanted me to be his girl. Apparently not.


	5. Confusion

The strike got a bit violent, so the police brought out their guns. I was trying to break up a fight between Jack and one of the repoters, and I was shot. It was probably by accident, trying to hit Jack or something.

Blink was so worried. I was only shot in the shoulder, so I wasn't hurt too badly, just a bit shaken and in a bit of pain.

He carried me back to the Lodging House, and sat with me until the doctor came. He stayed even after the doctor left.

"Look, I'm fine." I said, "Ya probably would rather be out dere with da guys, fightin' for ya rights."

"No." he said, "I'd rather be here, with ya."

"Why?" I asked, "What about dat goil?"

"Dat goil is you, dummy." he said, "Ya thought I had a goil, didn't ya?"

"Nah." I said, "I just figured ya had more sense than tah fall fa da second goil newsie in Manhattan."

"Considerin' the foist was my sistah, I'd say I made a pretty good choice." he said, laughing.

He looked me in the eyes, as well as one can while wearing an eyepatch, and said, "I think I'm in love with ya, Angel."

"I think I'm in love with YOU, Jordan." I said.

"Didn't I tell ya not tah call me that in public?" he asked, smiling.

"This isn't public!" I said, laughing, "My bedroom in the attic of the Newsboys Lodging House in Manhattan is DEFINITELY not public."

"Good." he said, "If it's not public, then I can do dis."

And he leaned over and gave me one very sweet kiss. Which I gave right back to him.

"I love you." I said, "For sure."


	6. Travelling

We didn't tell anyone that I was Blink's girl, but they figured it out pretty quick. No public displays of affection or anything, just, the things we did around each other. I'd blush when he looked at me, and he'd look away when I looked at him. Sometimes, Race would find us staring deeply into each others eyes from across the room at Tibby's and yell "You guys. WAKE UP!"

After that, everyone knew. So, we liked to entertain them.

"I love ya eyes." he said, once.

"And I love your freckles."

"I love ya hair."

"I love your eye patch."

"I love ya face."

"I love your knees."

"I love ya nose."

"I love your ears."

And so on, for minutes at a time, until we ran out of things to name, and started naming things we owned. Spot didn't think it was so cute.

"Ya gotta quit dat around me." he said, "I wanna soak ya when I hear dat kinda talkin'."

"Why?" I asked, "Cuz no girl's told you that she loves YOUR ears?"

Blink laughed while Spot gave both of us evil looks. "Of course I've been told that." he said, "She said my ears were very nice."

"Very nice is not sayin' that she loved 'em." Blink said, "That must be why she's not around anymore."

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Later on, Blink and I went for a walk. It started to rain halfway back to the lodging house.

"We bettah hurry, or get out a da rain, at least." he said.

We scurried into the closest alley, which, luckily, was between two buildings that had a bit of an over-hang. We sat there for a minute before I heard a small sound, like a wimper.

"What's wrong, Blink?" I asked.

"Whadda ya mean?" he asked, "I didn't say nothin'."

"But, I thought I hoid ya say sumthin'." I said. I began searching the alley. I found, in a very large crate, a very small rottweiler puppy. "Oh my gosh." I said, "It's a puppy."

I picked the small dog up, expecting him to bite at me, but he seemed glad to find something to hold him. He soon fell asleep in my arms.

"Isn't he cute?" I asked Blink.

"Actually, I think he's a she, Angel." he said, "But, yea, she is kinda cute."

I contemplated names until the rain stopped, and we made our way back to the lodging house. The dog didn't have a name, so I'd just call her Dog or Mutt until I thought of a good one.

Mutt and I slipped in the door while Blink distracted Kloppman. We both knew that he wouldn't let me keep Mutt if he saw her. He hates dogs. Even if they are trained.

When I got up to my room, I set Mutt on my bed, and looked around for something for her to sleep on. When I turned back to pick her up, she was already asleep on my pillow. "Aww, come on, Mutt." I said, "I know I hoid me mum say it's not good tah let a dog sleep wid ya." I realized that that was the first time I had mentioned mum to anyone. Or even thought about her since I got here.

I fell asleep, snuggling with Mutt, thinking about home and how mum must feel about me being gone.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

I woke up the next morning, expecting to see Mutt in my arms and Blink leaning down, looking at me with his light blue eyes. What I saw almost made me scream. I, wearing purple penguin pajama pants, was snuggling a pillow, looking at my mom leaning over me, trying to wake me up.

"Geez, mum." I said, "Ya scared da crap outta me."

"Angel, why are you speaking with a New York accent?" she asked, "And where have you been? This is the first time I've seen you in 2 months!"

I had really been gone for 2 months, and apparently, everyone thought I had either run away, been kidnapped, or I died.

"I'se tawkin' wid an accent cuz I been livin' wid da newsies." I said, "I jus' woke up heah."

"So, you ran away to New York to become a newsie because of that stupid movie." she said, shaking her head, "I knew nothing good could come of you watching that movie so much. I'm confiscating it, Angel. And you need to get dressed, and go to school."

"But, ma." I said, "I got no idea what you'se tawkin' about. I was really wid da newsies."

"This is the last you're going to see of them, Angel." she said, holding up my video, "You can keep your posters, and all your other newsie junk, but this is going far away."


	7. Misfiting

I went to school for 2 weeks before I decided to give up on the "I really visited the Newsies" story. I just told people I went to visit grandma. School was just putting too much stress on me.

I went shopping with Meaghan, and we couldn't find anything worth buying. We were about to leave the store when suddenly, I looked over at the toy aisle, and saw Mutt on a shelf. I ran over to it, to see that it was a stuffed dog that looked just like her. Needless to say, I bought it.

Meaghan thought I was crazy. But then, she hadn't been in New York with the newsies, fallen head over heels with Kid Blink, and found a puppy with him.

Just then, I wondered how Blink felt when he realised that I wasn't there.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

~Blink's POV~

"Good mornin', Angel." I said, walking into her room, "I brought ya sumthin'."

I looked all over her room. The only living thing in there other than a few bugs was Mutt.

"Well, goil," I said, "Do ya know where she went?"

The little dog yawned. Obviously a sign that she had no idea, but had been looking as well. I guessed that I'd have to take care of her now.

For two weeks I took care of Mutt up in the attic. I decided not to call her Mutt, but I called her Angel, since she was the one that found her.

Apparently, I had sunk into a bit of a depression, because the guys were trying to cheer me up.

"Ya wanna go to da races wid me tanight?" Race asked, "I got a hot tip on dis horse..."

"Ya wanna come wid me an' Jack?" Skittery asked, "We'se goin' to Brooklyn tah play some poker wid their newsies."

"No thanks guys." I said, "I'se kinda busy."

"Wid what?" Jack asked, "Missin' ya goil?"

Obviously, I wasn't hiding my sadness very well. "Well, ya gotta face it some time, Blink." he said, "She ain't comin' back. She left, an' now, ya gotta get ovah her."

"Don't say dat about 'er!" I yelled, "She wouldn't jus' leave an' not say g'bye!"

"Well she did!" Jack yelled back, "So get ovah it."

I wasn't thinking straight. I just missed her so much, and Jack was touching the wrong nerve. I hit him, hard and quick. My fist hit his jaw, and all of the newsies watching gasped in horror. Jack looked at me with flames in his eyes. I could feel his anger.

"Get out." he said, "I ain't gonna keep a newsie dat don't respect 'is leadah."

"I wansn't plannin' on stayin'." I said, looking towards the guys I said, "I'se movin' out west."

"So, now ya takin' my dream a Santa Fe?" Jack asked, "Ya ain't gonna make it."

"No." I said, "Colorado."

I went upstairs, and Race followed me. "Look," he said, "I got a bag undah me bunk. Take it."

"Thanks." I said, "I'm serious about leavin'. An' I ain't comin' back til I find 'er."

"Good." he said, looking at me seriously, "I know ya miss 'er, and ya gotta find 'er, or ya gonna go insane."

I packed Race's bag, promising to send it to him eventually. "Ya know where tah send it to." he said, "I'll be heah." I grabbed Mutt (now Angel) off Angel's bed. And walked out, telling Kloppman, "I'se leavin'. I'll see ya when I find Angel."

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

~Angel's POV~

I wanted so badly to know how I had travelled to New York the first time. I needed Blink and Mutt, and all the guys so badly.

"I miss dem all so much." I said, to nobody in particular. I looked around, grabbed my stuffed copy of Mutt, and squeezed her so tight, "I wish I could be dere wid ya, little Mutt."

Mom must've seen me, because she walked in at that moment "You have to stop pretending that you 'time-travelled', Angel." she said, "The neighbors think you're insane."

"Who cares what dey think, ma." I said, "I went dere, I fell in love wid a guy, and now I lost 'im. Don' ya know how dat feels?"

"No." she said, seriously, "I've never time-travelled, I've only been in love with your father, and I've never lost him. I have no idea how you 'feel'. I just want you to quit pretending and get back to reality. Your teachers have sensed a lack of your usual hard work. You're failing all of your classes."

"I don' care anymore." I said, "I only want tah get back to me Blink, and Mutt."

"Well, fine then." mom said, "Stay in your dream world. Just don't expect me to do anything when the neighbors insist on taking you to an asylum."


	8. Clearing

After my mom said I was allowed to stay in my "pretend world," I stayed in my room for weeks. She'd bring me breakfast, and then go to work. For the rest of my meals I would have to go downstairs.

I'd go to sleep with Mutt in my arms, wake up early, complain about paper prices, hawk the headlines to anything in my room, complain about my earnings, then go back to bed.

About a month later, while my mom is at work, the doorbell rings, and I'm the only person home to answer it. I go downstairs, opened the door, and there was the new guy from across the street.

"Hello." he said, "I'm looking for Angel?"

"'At's me." I said, "Why're ya lookin' fah me?"

"Well, your mom said you're at home alot, and so am I," he said, "So, I figured you might like some company sometimes."

I looked at him intensely. I had to know where I had seen him before. He seemed oddly familiar. "Did she tell ya I'm insane?" I asked, "Cuz I'm not. I acidentally time-travelled to da yeah 1899 an' spent 2 months wid da New York newsies."

"That's amazing." he said, "Will you tell me what it was like?"

Either the guy was a good actor and was secretly bored to death, he was pranking me, or he was really dumb. I figured it was the first one.

"Shoah." I said, letting him inside, "Whaddaya wanna know foist?"

"How'd you end up with that interesting accent?" he asked.

"Livin' wid da newsies." I said, "If ya don' pick up on it, ya gotta be crazy."

We sat and talked for hours about the newsies and New York when, suddenly, he stood up. "I completely forgot about my dog." he said, "I was supposed to let her out hours ago. You want to come with me?"

"Shoah." I said, "I love dogs."

So, we made our way across the street to his house, and when he opened the door, there sat a slightly bigger Mutt. "Mutt?" I whispered, "Is dat you, goil?"

"'Er name's Angel." he said, "Mine's Jordan, by da way."

"Jordan..." I said, "Why does that name seem so familiar?"

"Cuz it's me, Angel." he sadi, "It's Blink. Don'tcha remembah me?"

"That's impossible." I said.

So he explained how I had gotten to New York in the first place whille I sat with Mutt. "Ya house was built on a burial ground for indians." he said, "Indians dat knew da secret tah time-travellin'."

"So dat's how I got dere." I said, "But how did I get back?"

"Apparently, all ya gotta do is think, more like focus really really hard, completely on wheah ya wanna go. Ya missed home, I guess, an' ya got heah."

"So, how'd ya get heah, Blink?" I asked.

"I came tah Colorado tah find ya." he said, "I looked forevah. Finally, I just decided tah look fah ya house. Ya told me what it looked like, so I figyad it'd be theah. I found about wheah it would be, but all dat was deare was an ancient indian burial ground dat people were too scared tah get neah. I just stood dere, thinkin' of ya, and I really wanted tah see ya. I ended up heah, in ya back yard."

"Why didn't ya let me know?" I said, "I really really missed ya."

"I wanted ya tah figyah it out by ya-self." he said, "Ya saw Mutt, an' remembahed 'er. Why didn't ya remembah me?"

"It's been so long since I saw ya last, Blink." I said, "In my dreams, ya looked different. Like, diffrent clothes, an eye-patch..."

"'At's all heah." he said, "I jus' didn't wanna make it dat easy fah ya."

I ran over and hugged him. "I missed ya, Jordan." I whispered.

"I missed you too, Angel." he said.

Mutt came over and nudged us with her nose, and I leaned over and gave her a HUGE hug. "I missed ya too, Mutt."


	9. Leaving

"Well, Angel, ya gotta decide." Blink said, "Ya wanna say heah wid ya ma, or do ya wanna go back tah New York wid me an' Mutt?"

I thought about it, and couldn't decide. "I jus' can't decide, Blink." I said, "Ya gotta understand. I been heah wid my ma fah a month. I love 'er, I jus' don' fit in so good no more."

"So, come back wid me." he said, "I love ya, an' I'll take care a ya. I promise."

"Ya at least gotta let me ma know where I'm goin'. Okay?" I asked, "Ya gotta let 'er know that I ain't runnin' away, I'm goin' tah where I gotta be."

"Awright." Blink said, "But dis time, ya not gonna be wearin' dat tah New York."

I laughed, "I got somethin' I can wear." I said, "I promise."

Mom came home from work around 4, and was very surprised to see me talking to the new boy from across the street. "So, you made a friend?" she asked, "That's good. Has he convinced you to go back to school."

"No." he said, "But I did convince 'er tah come back tah New York wid me."

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"I'm one of 'er newsie friends." he replied, "Dat's what I'm tawkin' about. I wanna take 'er back dere, since she don't think she fits in too well here."

"Angel, who is he really?" she asked.

"Have ya nevah watched dat movie, ma?" I asked, "'e's tellin' da truth."

She looked at us both like we were insane. "Well, fine." I said, "Jus' don' expect tah nevah time-travel in dis house. Ya might wanna move aftah I leave."

Blink explained the entire story. I don't know if she really believed him, but she acted like she was really going to after we left. So, Blink went across the street, and thanked his "family" for letting him stay there, changed back into his newsie clothes. I went upstairs and changed into mine. We sat in the living room for a bit while mom prepared herself.

"We'se leavin' now, ma." I said, "Ya sure ya wanna watch?"

"I will." she said, "If this really works, I'm moving to New York to find any of your descendants."

Blink and I both blushed. "Ma." I said, "Ya shoulda kept dat to ya-self."

"What is your real name again, young man?" she asked Blink.

"Jordan Blake Jameson." Blink said.

"Alright then." mom said, writing down the name, "I'll see you..."

I hugged her, and said, "Ma, ya not gonna see me, but if ya meet any a our kids or sumthin' let 'em know that ya related tah 'em. Jus' don' tell 'em how. They might think ya crazy."

We said our goodbyes, and left.

We landed right in the middle of "newsie square".

"Well, we're home." Blink said, "Whaddaya wanna do foist?"

"Let's let da guys know we're home." I said.

When we walked into Tibby's, Race was the first to stand up. "Oh my God." he said, "He found 'er!"

Everyone crouded around me except Jack. Apparently he was mad at Blink, or something.

"Where'd ya go, Angel?" Mush asked.

"Yea." Crutchy said, "Blink looked fah ya fah weeks befoah 'e decided tah chase ya tah Colorado."

"'E even punched Jack in da face fah sayin' 'e needed to forget ya." Skittery piped up.

"An' I also told 'im not tah come back." Jack said, still not looking at either of us, "An' look what 'e did wid dat advice."

"'E was upset, Jack." Race said, "Can't 'e come back? 'E found 'er. We all missed 'er too."

Jack understood everyone missing me, but just didn't want Blink around him.

"Dey can find deir own place." he said, "But dey can still sell wid us."

The guys were excited, but we had nowhere to stay. I figured that Medda'd let us stay at Irving Hall until we could find somewhere else to go. She was nice about it. "I meesed you, deah." she said, "Of course the two of you can stay heere. And the dog too."

We had a place to stay, I still had a job at Medda's, and we could still sell papers. Things were looking up for us.


End file.
